Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, Uganda’s Chief of Defense Forces, saw his X (formerly Twitter) account vanish on Friday, hours after posting a controversial message that sparked widespread reactions.
The account, which had more than 1.
2 million followers, became inaccessible around lunchtime.
The reasons for the disappearance remain unclear—whether Gen Muhoozi deactivated it himself or if X suspended it following a targeted reporting campaign.
The controversy started when Gen Muhoozi posted threats against Ms Winnie Byanyima, wife of opposition leader Col Dr Kizza Besigye.
The post immediately drew strong reactions from political commentators and social media users.
Canadian-based Kenyan activist Miguna Miguna called for action, urging: “Let’s permanently remove this human from social media and maintain some hygiene here.
”
This is not the first time Gen Muhoozi has stepped away from social media.
In April 2022, he deactivated his X account, which then had over 540,000 followers.
At the time, it appeared to be his own decision rather than a suspension by the platform.
He returned five days later, telling followers: “Never fear my followers and supporters.
I’m back.
I had some decisions to make.
”
In January 2025, he again deactivated his account after making controversial remarks, including a threat against opposition politician Bobi Wine.
He explained that he was stepping back to focus on his military duties and under “the instructions and blessings of my Lord Jesus Christ,” while hinting at a possible return in the future.
Gen Muhoozi’s repeated disappearances from X highlight a pattern of using the platform for bold statements and then temporarily stepping back amid backlash or personal considerations.
Social media users now watch closely to see if this latest disappearance is temporary or permanent.
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